In this calming meditation,
We'll just be using the breath as an anchor and using the word calm to help us focus on our breathing as well as to hopefully generate feelings of peace throughout the session.
So beginning with your eyes open.
Get comfortable.
Sit with a relaxed but alert posture.
Keeping your back straight.
Take a moment to check in with yourself.
See how the mind and the body both feel.
And then take three deep in breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.
In and out.
In and out.
In and out.
And then gently closing your eyes on the out breath.
And also closing the mouth and breathing through the nostrils for the remainder of the session.
Start to notice how heavy your body feels.
The heaviness of the legs,
The arms,
The torso and the head.
Feeling gravity pulling you down towards the ground.
And then start to notice any sounds that might be present.
No need to strain here.
Just allow the sounds to arise and to disappear all by themselves.
And then when you're ready,
Gently start to become aware.
Aware of the breath.
Just focusing your attention wherever you feel the breath most clearly.
This could be at the nose,
In the chest or in the belly.
Listen closely as you release air and breath.
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See how repeating the word calm in tandem with the breaths feels so you would say mentally calm on the in breath and calm on the out breath continuing this indefinitely and just remembering to revert your attention back to the breath and to the calm mantra if your mind wanders.
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If it helps you can elongate the sounds of the word calm so you would say mentally calm on the in breath calm on the out breath by elongating the sound of the noise you again reduce the scope for thoughts to distract you.
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Try not to be frustrated or upset if your mind has wandered at this stage remember to put a little smile on your lips and in your mind and just gently reversing your attention back to the breath and to the mantra calm.
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When repeating the word calm see if you notice any calm sensations anywhere in your body it might be that the breath naturally slows down or it might just be a feeling of relaxation in your body and if you start to get this feelings that's great notice them enjoy them and allow them to be.
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The mind is naturally very busy so once again please don't get frustrated or upset if the mind has wondered and you have forgotten that you are supposed to be irritating your reaction here is crucial if you can maintain a positive attitude if you can even be happy that you've noticed that the mind has wandered this will massively speed up your progress so just gently and smilingly revert your attention back to the breath and repeating the word calm.
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Now just gently giving up all efforts entirely allowing your mind to be free to do whatever it wants.
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